"Air America" is an absolute gem for fans of unintentionally cheesy entertainment. The series aired from 1998-1999 in syndication, but one would swear while watching that they've been transported back to the 80's, as "Air America" often resembles a hilarious, Z-grade "A-Team"/"Magnum P.I."-style action series. The show is (quite) loosely based on the Robert Downey, Jr./Mel Gibson 1990 picture of the same name, and stars none other than Lorenzo Lamas as former CIA agent Rio Arnett, who runs "Air America", an undercover operation that has him and a partner - Wiley Ferrell (played by Scott Plank) - posing as ordinarily pilots by day, transporting people and goods. However, when there's trouble, the two agents fly off in search of counterfeiters, smugglers and other assorted baddies. There's also an uneasy romance for Rio in the owner of the local hotel, Alison Stratton (played by Diana Barton), who doesn't care much for Rio, but can't help but secretly fall for him. Lamas' own wife (Shauna Sand-Lamas) has a bit part as the hotel's waitress.

The series certainly isn't of high quality in many regards, but it plays it well enough to be mindless fun. As for what doesn't work, the action sequences are particularly weak, with some funny visual effects and fight sequences that look like the rehearsal was filmed (people approaching each other slowly as if they're going through the choreography of the scene for the first time, punches that don't look like they're connecting, punches that come from off-screen in the middle of the fight and editing choices that occasionally make the fight scenes feel even more pieced together than they already are.)

The acting isn't really any better, but at least Lamas and most of the rest of the cast don't play the material entirely seriously. The scripts that the cast has to work with remain generic action/drama offerings with some classically clunky one-liners. Despite the fact that the plots are basic fare, the show gives us a narration that spells out what's currently going on in the episode. You also have to love the computer screen-style opening credits that offer up the "secret files" that explain who the show's main characters are.

Overall, this is by no means a series that's done well, but it's cheesy in a way that manages to lift it up to the level of mindless, silly fun for those in the mood for a corny hunk of action/drama cheddar.

Note: the series only lasted one season, but 4 of the 26 episodes were not shown.Those four episodes - the 2-part opening episodes and two finale episodes - have been included here for all the "Air America" fans, although these episodes have been grouped together towards the end of the 6-DVD set.